1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving apparatus which uses an elliptical vibration of a vibrator to drive and move a mobile body in a predetermined direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a camera, for example, is known as an image pickup apparatus having a function of correcting a blurring motion. As the blurring-motion correcting function of the camera, an image stabilizing function in which a blur of an image on an imaging area of an image pickup element is corrected is known. In the image stabilizing function, a blurring vibration in a pitch direction of the camera and a blurring vibration in a yaw direction of the camera are detected by using a blurring motion detector such as an angular velocity sensor. Then, based on the detected blur signal, an image pickup element or a part of an image pickup optical system is shifted to negate the blurring motion, independently in the lateral direction and the vertical direction in a plane perpendicular to an imaging optical axis.
In an image stabilizing mechanism which realizes the image stabilizing function, a driving unit which moves, to correct a blurring motion caused by a hand movement, the image pickup element itself or a part of an imaging lens in the lateral direction and the vertical direction in the plane perpendicular to the imaging optical axis is used. To operate by following the blurring motion caused by a hand movement, the driving unit is required to have a high response performance, an accurate driving (a minute driving), and a self-retaining capability by which a position of a mobile body is retained even when a power source is turned off.
In response to such requirements, an image stabilizing mechanism using an impact actuator is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-331549, and an apparatus which uses a vibrational wave actuator to drive a lens is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-104166.